Two Things To Watch For On Friday

Will Air America radio declare bankruptcy and will Fidel Castro show up at a dinner marking the end of the Non-Aligned Movement conference? Apparently, a schedule that was sent to international media said Fidel would host the dinner. But an official schedule handed to the press accredited to Cuba later made no mention of Castro at the dinner.

A dinner hosted by Castro for dignitaries attending this week's Nonaligned Movement summit was mentioned in a schedule sent Sunday by the government to international media.

But Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque said he could not confirm the leader's participation in the Friday event. "Fidel is recovering satisfactorily, the worst has been left behind," Perez Roque said at a news conference.

"I cannot yet confirm his presence at the dinner," Perez Roque said. "I can confirm that the head of the Cuban delegation at that moment will be offering those dignitaries that dinner."

The 80-year-old leader announced July 31 he had undergone emergency surgery for an undisclosed intestinal ailment and provisionally handed over power as Cuba's president and Communist Party head to his younger brother, 75-year-old Defense Minister Raul Castro.

"If Fidel is not there, then Raul will act as host at the dinner," Perez Roque said.

"Logically, the physical absence of Fidel in all of the summit work constitutes a notable loss," Perez Roque said. "All of us would like him to head the delegation and be there all the time. If that does not occur, we have made great preparations under his personal direction."

After the news conference, a different version of the Nonaligned schedule was sent to international journalists permanently accredited in Cuba, with a note saying it was the "valid" version. Although the Friday night dinner was still listed, any mention of Castro hosting it had been removed.

Just a thought here: if you wanted to really gain enormous attention for a death announcement, wouldn't it be a wise move to do it while other heads of state are in your capitol? We can but hope.

It's a left wing death watch extravaganza!